Mare Nostrum (Our Sea) A Novel

always felt as dazzled as though a gorgeous stained glass window had

only one who slept aboard. Many of the seamen had begged permission to live in the city, and so the steamer had been entrusted to the guardianship of Uncle Caragol with half a dozen men for the daily cleaning. The little Ferragut used to play that he was the captain of the Mare Nostrum and would pace the bridge, pretending that a great tempest was coming up, and examine the nautical ins

with fraternal familiarity. If the youthful oarsman was perspiring greatly…. "A refresquet?" And the che

l, had made him conceive a type of heroic, gallant, dashing sailor-a regular swash-buckler capable of swallowing by the

essity for alcoholic liquids so as to make it evident that he was entirely a man. "There wasn't in the whole world a drink that could do him any harm…." And after a second "refresco" fro

ck a dozen years and be still in Valencia, talking with that other Ferragut boy who was running away

as in other times his mother had been the lace-making companion of her mother-in-law, Do?a Cristina. He wanted to be a seaman and they were obliging him to study the uninteresting courses leading to a bachelor's degree. It was scarcely likely, was it, that a cap

prompting him to visit Uncle Caragol at the very hour that his p

nd voices on deck always changed their topic of conversation. "Hide yourself!" and Esteban would dodge under the tabl

to come out, relying on his silence; for Toni lik

oments, Caragol would talk with him, obstructing the door wi

s father. All those romantic heroes that had come from the pages of novels to

ing with the precocity of a little-watched boy the relations that exist between men and women, he su

t he admired the captain no less, excusing every fault that he might c

rom foreign countries, the lad's admiration was greater still. Everybody must have been madly in love with the captain of the Mare Nostru

arrived at Barcelona without its owner,

ragut had remained behind because of important business, but he would not be long in returning. His sec

nificant event. The good lady appeared greatly troubled and her eyes filled with tea

d her as usual, the two talked slowly with guarded words bu

ernoon, passing an hour and a half in her parlor with chronometric exactitude. Never did the slightest impure thought agitate the professor. The past had f

future of Esteban, and the former suitor used to listen rapturously to her sweet voice, conceding great importance to t

temper, and silent respect, in that tranquil and immaculate house which lost its mo

visits. At half-past three by the clock his fo

t come, the sweet Penelope

tter with Don Pedro?" she wo

son; but Esteban, without exactly hating t

embered the two years that he had passed in his course, as in the torture chamber, enduring the torments of Latin. Besides that, the professor was a timid man who

is mother. "Perhaps he's gone to be

indispensable. The professor mildly supplemented the authority of the traveling husband, and took it upon himself to represent the head of the family in all outside matters

s of the house, pretending to oversee him as though he were his father. But it irritated him still more to see him in a good humor and tr

in the reception room near to the hatrack by the door. And the poor professor on his departure would find his hat crown

of the family friend, passing in front of him without recognizi

ptain, Don Pedro made a longer visit than usual. Cinto shed two tears upon th

dation?… What you ought to do, my daughter, is to call in this Toni who is mat

arning that Do?a Cinta wished to talk with him. The mate left the boat in lugubrious silence as though he we

th greater frequency. Toni was reiterating in a dull voice the same excuse:-"I don't know. The captain will come at any moment…." But when the mate found himself outside the house, his wrath broke out a

g to the plates and forks, and she looked at her son with tragic commiseration as though she foresaw terrible tro

rting us!… Your fath

ning-room to hide h

of his sex made him take little account of these complaints. Matters for women! His mother just didn't know how to be the wife of an extraordinary

to question me!…" But he calmed himself with the thought that the boy was probably coming of his own free will to pass a few hours on the Mare Nostrum. Even so, he wished to avoid his

were looking at the child with an extraordinary tenderness. Suddenly he stopped his talk with an expression of un

for the first time on this return trip. On former days, incredible as it may seem, he had not thought of making even one of hi

d lavishly measured out the rum unti

ses were only half empty, and the cook waved both hands in the air, giving a g

added. "He will return but I don't know

the glass, devoting himself hastily to the confection of

hat was hedging in his verbosity and spoke with his old tim

son,-morality from his standpoint, inter

mitate him as a seaman. Be good and just toward

t was all governed by the infernal attraction exercised by the female of the species. The men were work

d do not imitate your f

t by bit. Thus Esteban learned that the captain was enamored with a lady in Naples and that he ha

y?" asked the

l. "And such odors!… And such

admired his father once more, but this admiration only lasted a few se

in when they clutch, and it is necessary to cut off their hands in order to loosen them…. And the boat as useless now as thoug

g in one draft all that wa

rompted by his pleasant intoxication. What if he sh

n he looked at it, glass in hand, near to Uncle Caragol. All obstacles would turn out to be trifl

n recollecting his absent parent. How would he receive him upon his arrival?… What excuses could he give h

of his vessel, telling of his escapades when rowing in the harbor of Barcelona, or commenting to friends on his son's strength and intel

o take him away with him, like a good comrade who comes to another's rescue in time of danger. Pe

if the voyage should prove absurd and dangerous?… All the better! So much the bett

ompanied his father on a flying business trip to Marseilles. It was high time that he should go out in th

y to find her bunch of keys. An old and slow-going steamer, commanded by one of his fat

his friends in Genoa. Between captains they ought to exchange such services, and Ulysses Ferragut, who was awaiting his

his mother used as a cash box, embarked the following day. A little suit-case, tak

ords to reinforce his scanty Italian vocabulary acquired at the opera. The only positive information that guided him on his q

in Naples the consignees who thought that the c

mother who was perhaps weeping hours at a time, reading and rereading the letter that he had left for her explaining the object of his flight. Besides, Italy's intervention in the war,-an event whi

is first impression of surprise had passed, thought it would be a good plan

Ferragut, owner of a ship and a former client, was guided

d was making inquiries about him. His last visit had been two days before. He was then hesitating between returni

s gone by railroad,"

mation in order to attract the attention of his chief. He was sure of his departure by

ble. This inexplicable voyage of his son filled him with remorse and

concerning his passage and recommendation to the captain. There only remained four hours before the boat's departure, and Ulysses, after collecting his valises and sen

rman girl's flight. He thought sadly of lost love, but at the same time he th

enger. Entirely out of his element, he wandered over the decks and among the crowds of tourists. Force of habit drew him t

assengers. They were mostly French, coming from Indo-China. On prow and poop there were quartered four companies of Asiatic sharpshooters,-little, yellowish, with oblique eyes and voices like the miauling of

weather-beaten soldiers who appeared disgusted yet galvanized by the war that was snatching them from their Asiatic siesta, and children,-many ch

oups on deck reminded one another, with selfish satisfaction, of the great dangers that threatened the people embarking in the North Sea, harassed by German submarines.

acted him. The operator, a young Englishman, took off his nickel band with two earphones. Greatly bored by his isolation, he was trying to distract himself by conversing with the operat

g of his induction coils, would put on the diadem with

e goodnight," he said after one of these ca

alled the unquiet nights, the days of anxious vigilance, searching the sea and the atmosphere, fearing from one moment to another the appearance of a pe

tranquillity. His companion in service was snoring in a nearby cabin and he was anxious

ithout sudden surprises or visions. Just as he was feeling that only a few moments had passed by, he was violently awakened as though some one had given him a sh

en opportunely. A mysterious perception of danger had cut short his repose. He distinguished over his head the patter of quick runnings the whole length of th

k, was gently lapping the sides of the vessel which continued going forward with regular motion. The decks were cleared of passengers. They were all sleeping in their s

of the night before was near the door and his companion was now wearing the head pho

the danger call, the S.O.S., that is only employed when a ship needs help. Then in the space of a few seconds a mysterious voice had spread its tragic story over hundreds of miles. A submersible had

t tragedy were extinguished as the communication was cut off. A prolonged,

ut the dialogue between the boats that had received the same warning. They too were alarmed by the sudden silence, and w

operator exclaimed with astonishment on finishing his repo

the glances of those men of the sea might fasten themselves acc

haps von Kramer was the author of the crime. With good reason he had charged Ulysses to tell his compatriots th

you done?" wrathfully demanded

their clothes with precipitation, and struggling to adjust to their bodies the life-preservers which they were trying on for the first time. The children were howling, terrified by the alarm of their parents. Some nervous women were shedding tears without any ap

waves, believing every object which they saw,-bits of wood, seaweed or c

death, had not abandoned their serene apathy. Some merely looked out over the sea with a childish curiosity, anxious to become acquainted with th

Mediterranean!… B

nd could only be convinced of what had occurred

their complaints and their comments were causing him great annoyance. Soon he found that he could not remain in thi

s little clouds. They were the ships hastening fr

he shipwreck. In the lookouts were sailors exploring the sea and shouting the orders that guided the steamer'

floating by empty, a boat with its keel in the air, and bits of wood bel

on some planks passed by. One of her legs was thrust into a gray silk stocking, her head was hang

. She had been surprised by the shipwreck at the very moment that she had been trying to dress; perhaps terror had made her throw herself

caught a glimpse of this corpse. In his turn the vigorous sailor trembled like a woman, and his eyes filmed

he footprints of the author of the crime. The steamers stopped their circular course of exploration

announcing an extraordinary event. Again the cruel necessity

meeting little by little the rest of the life boats occupied by the survivors o

their misfortune and at the same time offering them hot drinks. Others, after staggering a few steps as though intoxicated

, lightly clad, simply rolled themselves up in shawls, beginning the account of the catastrophe as minutely and serenely as though they were in

and stammering explanations. She had found herself in a launch, separated from her parents, without knowing how. Perhaps they were dead by this time.

eanings the noise of conversation. There had just climbed

was wailing with disheveled ha

amer, she went instinctively toward the prow in search of the same spot which she had occupied on the other ship, as t

oice hurt him, as though its pierc

ousers and shirt open at the breast who was talking and talking, wrapping him

ure of French and Italian t

shot fired by the submersible against his

dvancing at a dizzying speed, in bold relief against the water…. Then came a blow on the hull of the vessel which had made it shudder from stem to stern, not a single plate nor screw escaping tremendous dislocation…. Then a volcanic explosio

e better and he put himself exactly in the path of the explosion…. He disappeared as suddenly as if he had been blotte

in the boats, the efforts of the officers to maintain order, the death of many that, crazy with desperation, had thrown themselves into the sea, the

nd then its smokestacks taking on a vertical position almost like the leaning

pwrecked folk, telling their doleful tales at

is physical type and his accent made

re Spa

d man replied

inued Ulysses in

tleman is a Catalan also?"… And smiling upon Ferragut as though he we

d taken the sea route because it had seemed to him the more rapi

traveling on your boat?" U

was just speaking. The explosion of the

increasing. A compatriot, a poor young

e for his companion's death. He had only met him in Naples a few days before, but they were united

ur, urging upon him the advantages of a trip by sea. Whoever would have imagined that the German submarines were in the Mediterranean! The travelin

s, hunting everywhe

h!

retched, as though he were trying to loosen his skull from the

d the youth, "commands

s Ferr

man had just fallen heavily,